Prompt: what do you do to stay young?

both body and mind.

I would like to think that I am an expert in this subject. Not literally, but metaphorically. I have spent most of my adult life trying to live as the child inside might have lived. Especially during the years when my child/young adulthood was ripped from my hands.

I stay young in many ways. Exercising regularly and eating healthy are major foundation stones in my life.

I also journal every morning (and throughout the day) which keeps me honest with myself. Honesty with the self is an under practiced skill. Journaling is a good way to convey honesty, and work through it in the same session.

Take time to enjoy the outdoors! Smell the musty leaves, smile in the sun, breathe in the crisp snowfall air, run, laugh, play, jump in the leaves, or anything that your inner child desires. It is good to have fun, especially childlike fun. Take your friends to go have a water balloon fight, or maybe dress up silly and take funny photos together. Giggle and giggle often. See the beauty around you as if you have never looked at it before. Feel refreshed and content.

One of those childlike activities that I enjoy most is playing in the woods and looking for bugs and mushrooms. I have always been interested in mycology since I was a small child carrying around ceramic garden mushrooms.

My younger cousins and I used to have a “Talking Mushroom”. It was a ceramic off-white, fly amanita-esque colored mushroom with a long ceramic stem to stake into the ground. It was passed from person to person around the circle. If you were holding the talking mushroom, you could speak and help choose what we were going to play that morning. What a fond memory…

When I started going to university, I was shocked to find out that the icebreakers and events planned for the students were games. Games like volleyball, basketball, frisbee, pickleball, table tennis, manhunt, and so much more. I think at one of the events there were yard-darts, cornhole, spike ball, latter ball, and a few others.

While shocked to find these activities facilitated for college students – I was also intrigued with how much play was encouraged. Sure, it is still school, but it is school for young adults+.

The importance of play or play-like activities is paramount to success. We play even if we don’t realize it. Video games, coloring apps, silly mobile games, craftwork, and more. We ride our bikes, and run our races – alas, it is all play.

Fitness is play. If you don’t think so, then maybe you should ask someone who spends a lot of time on their fitness. They will tell you that they love it and that it relieves stress. Not only that, but similar to the playground, we make new friends and play with them. The playground is a great place to be social. As are fitness groups and teams.

I choose fitness as my form of play, but I choose drawing, crafting and writing as my activities to keep me young. I also spend time learning and researching a topic every day to keep my mind strong and sharp.

What do you do to stay young?